For 18 years, from 1990 to 2007, she served as President and CEO of the Houston Area Women's Center, which is dedicated to eliminating domestic and sexual violence.
[2] Her competitors included incumbent Republican Martha Wong and Libertarian Mhair Dekmezian, a Rice University student.
Cohen stated during candidate forums where the district should have a representative who puts the residents, constituents, and the issues first, not partisanship first which Wong had done during her tenure.
Several campaign ads circulated by Wong before the election attacked the following: the Children's Health Initiative Program (CHIP), immigration, and property taxes.
In July 2005, she was honored by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as an outstanding contributor to civil and human rights in Houston.